Figure 4-4.Hoe.Figure 4-5.Gingival margin trimmers (GMTs).Condensing InstrumentsTo deliver the amalgam to the cavity preparationand properly condense (pack) it, the dentist will use avariety of instruments.Amalgam carriers andcondensers are used for this purpose.completed, eject any remaining a: nalgam alloy fromthe carrier into the amalgam well The carrier is nolonger serviceable when the amalgam is allowed toharden in the carrier.CONDENSERS. Amalgam condensers, oftencalled pluggers, are instruments used to condense orAMALGAM CARRIERS.Amalgam carriers(fig. 4-6) transport the freshly prepared amalgamrestorative material to the cavity preparation. Thesecarriers have hollow working ends, called barrels, intowhich the amalgam is packed for transportation. Bothsingle and double-ended carriers are available with avariety of barrel sizes including: mini, large, andjumbo. When the lever (located on the top of thecarrier) is depressed, the amalgam is ejected into thecavity preparation. Normally, two carriers are usedduring the amalgam placement procedure. This savestime for the dentist who is ejecting or condensing acarrier load while you are refilling the carriers. Apoorly packed carrier of amalgam handed to the dentistmay fall out before it is ejected into the cavitypreparation. It is your responsibility to ensure that allcarriers are properly packed before the transfer to thedentist. After amalgam material placement ispack the amalgam filling materials into the cavitypreparation. The hammer-like working end is largeenough to compress the soft amalgam without sinkinginto it. Condensers come in single- and double-endeddesigns. They have various shaped and sized workingends, which may be smooth or serrated as shown infigure 4-7.CarversAfter the amalgam is condensed, it must then becarved to approximately the same original toothstructure. Carvers have sharp cutting edges that areused to shape, form, or cut tooth anatomy into amalgamrestorations. Figure 4-8 illustrates these instruments thatcome in assorted shapes and sizes in double-endeddesigns. Many carvers were designed for carvingspecific tooth surfaces. The Interproximal and #1/2Hollenback were designed for carving proximal (inbetween) tooth surfaces; whereas, the discoid-cleoid #89/92 and Tanner #5 are used on occlusal surfaces.Carvers shaped similar to Vignon or Frahm #2/3 (also4-3